


Waiting For You to Wake

by KR21



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Nightmares, References to PTSD, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-25 22:52:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4979743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KR21/pseuds/KR21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint gets hurt, Bucky waits for him to wake up...pretty much exactly what's on the tin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The room was filled with the beeping and whirring of various machines, only some of which Bucky actually recognized. He was focusing his eyes on the heart rate monitor because it was easier than looking down at Clint. As long as he stared at the regular and steady blips on the screen he could keep his mind on the fact that Clint was alive. It was difficult to remember that if he shifted his eyes towards the man in the bed.

There were bandages covering the majority of Clint’s torso. His right arm was splinted and wrapped. The right side of his face was a deep purple which stood out drastically against the pallor of the small portions of unbruised skin that were visible. The doctors were pleased with how well he’d come through surgery given the extent of his injuries. Bucky desperately wanted to reach out, to touch him, though he could acknowledge that at the moment it would be for his comfort and not Clint’s. He rested his fingers lightly on the bed close to Clint’s left hand which was hooked up to his IV but otherwise unharmed.

Steve was sitting in the corner of the room. He looked exhausted and battered and Bucky could still see the smudges of blood and soot on his uniform. “You don’t have to stay” Bucky said, keeping his eyes focused on the monitor. “They said he’ll be asleep for a while still.”

“I’ll stay a bit longer” Steve’s voice sounded tired and Bucky was torn between being irrationally annoyed that Steve wouldn’t go rest and grateful that he wasn’t alone. It certainly wasn’t unusual for Steve to sit beside a team member who’d been injured, in fact as team leader it was pretty normal, but Bucky knew that part of the reason Steve remained after Clint was out of surgery was because he didn’t want to leave Bucky on his own.

“Can’t say I missed this” Bucky said quietly. Steve raised an eyebrow at him, “sitting at some punk’s bedside hoping he wakes up” he clarified.

Steve smiled fondly at him the way he always did when Bucky referenced something from before. “You’re a great nurse, he’ll be back to climbing around the vents in no time.”

Bucky nodded absently and started running his hand lightly over Clint’s fingers. “He’ll be fine Buck, you heard what the doctors said” Steve added softly.

“How do you do it? With Stark?” Bucky asked, grateful for the fact that Steve knew him well enough to understand what he was asking without needing him to clarify.

“You’ve heard some of our fights after missions, it’s not like I always do it well….but…he’s brilliant. What Iron Man brings to the team…I couldn’t get that anywhere else. Tony makes me a better leader, he makes us a better team and we’re all safer having him out there with us. I hate it when he gets hurt, the idea of losing him….I can’t think about it…but I would never ask him to stop being Iron Man any more than he would ask me to stop being Captain America because as much as the idea of anything happening to him terrifies me…the world is a safer place when we’re doing our jobs and working together.”

Bucky feels his lips quirk up in the ghost of a smile, because even after seventy years and two lifetimes of disappointment and loss and unprecedented sacrifice Steve still manages to be achingly good.

“Do you have flashcards with this shit on it? Practice speeches before bed in case you need to be motivational the following day?” Bucky teases.

“My motivational speeches have been working on you since 1925 jerk” Steve grinned at him before his smile softened again. “There isn’t a perfect way to do it Buck, but you’re here for him and you’ll be here when he wakes up and then you just work to enjoy every moment you have together”

And that’s the problem really, because who they are, doing what they do means that the likelihood that one day one of them won’t make it is pretty damn high. Bucky’s still not so sure about himself…but the rest of them, they don’t deserve that.

“Enjoy every moment huh? I’m concerned that you’re coming dangerously close to talking to be about your sex life and we have rules about that…”

“Ass” Steve said grinning at him. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Yeah, actually coffee would be good.” Bucky said rubbing his temples with his left hand, the cool metal of his fingers feeling good against his skin. Steve nodded and squeezed his shoulder as he stepped out of the room.

Bucky sighed and looked back down at Clint’s still form. The familiar banter with Steve was comforting, but now that he was alone he could feel the worry creeping back up his spine. “You hear that punk? You need to wake up so that we can make the most of every moment. Captain America has basically just ordered you to have lots of sex, can’t believe you want to miss out on that.” Bucky smoothed his hand over Clint’s left cheek and turned his eyes back to the heart monitor.

*********************** 

_“I can show you around if you’d like, or we can just go to your apartment. Whatever is easier” Steve said hesitantly._

_Bucky had been at the Tower for eight weeks but today was the first day that he was leaving the Hulk reinforced room that he’d been in since he’d arrived. It had been two and half weeks since he’d had a dissociative episode and it had been decided that having a little more freedom would be good for him. Steve had assured him that between the Avengers and JARVIS he would be monitored and he wouldn’t have access to any civilian floors. Bucky still wasn’t sure it was a good idea but Dr. Shaw had convinced him to give it a try._

_“Either way” he said tiredly. He didn’t miss the way Steve’s shoulders shagged a bit at that. He knew that he was supposed to be working on making decisions but he was too tired to care at the moment. It had been eight weeks of slowly trying to stitch together some semblance of self, attempting to cobble a person from the fragmented memories of who he used to be and the things that still seemed to fit and as much as he hated to disappoint Steve in any way, he couldn’t muster up the energy to care about anything else today. He was finding that some days the only way to avoid anger was apathy._

_Steve squared his shoulders and Bucky watched as he pulled himself back from whatever it was he’d been feeling a moment ago, “why don’t I just show you the common room? Then we’ll head to your apartment.”_

_Bucky nodded and followed Steve to the elevator at the end of the hall. “You have your own floor” Steve said as the elevator started moving “just like everybody else. You have access to the common floor whenever you want. Um, for now, you’ll need to be accompanied to go anywhere else…by me I mean…but you can just let me know if you want to go somewhere. Just tell JARVIS and he’ll get me…” Steve trailed off and fell into parade rest like he always did when he was nervous. Bucky had noticed that Steve did that a lot around him._

_“I don’t mind, you know” Bucky said quietly. He didn’t really want to talk about it but he hated that after everything Steve had done for him he was feeling unsure. Their friendship had been many things over the years but Steve had never been timid with him before. There was more missing from his memories than not but on that point he was certain. “It’s not safe for me to wander the halls and you’re the only one who can stop me if I lose it. I’d rather have you with me than risk something happening.”_

_Steve turned as if he wanted to ask him a question but he thought better of it and just nodded instead. “I’m on the top floor in the penthouse with….top floor, just so you know.”_

_Bucky sighed but only nodded in understanding. For some reason Steve hadn’t told him that he and Tony were together. Bucky couldn’t work out if Steve didn’t want him to know for some reason or if he thought Bucky would be upset by it so Bucky hadn’t said anything yet. Though how Steve thought he could miss the looks they shot each other whenever they were in the room together was beyond him. He’d be a pretty terrible sniper if he wasn’t good at reading his surroundings, especially when his “surroundings” were busy gazing fondly at each other when they thought no one was looking. Even if he couldn’t remember much he knew he was an exceptional sniper, he had the nightmares to prove it._

_The doors slide open to reveal a large room, the far wall covered in windows that looked to span the entire west wall of the Tower. To his left there was a large open kitchen with a long, low dining table beyond that. The right side of the room was a sunken living space filled with couches and chairs and the largest tv that Bucky had ever seen._

_“The team likes to spend free time here” Steve was saying as they walked further into the room “watching movies, reading, dinner with whoever is around….but you can always ask JARVIS who’s here, if you’d rather not run into people.”_

_Other than Steve the only people from the team that Bucky had spent time with were Bruce and Tony. Tony would show up if there was something wrong with his arm and Bruce would show up if there was something wrong with the rest of him._

_Bruce was cautious around him, though Bucky supposed that was probably how Bruce acted with most people. He was professional, calm…as if he didn’t find it strange to be sitting across from a science experiment who had recently tried to kill his friends…maybe given his life maybe he didn’t find it unusual. Bucky appreciated the ease with Bruce, questions with simple answers and the feeling that Bruce was just as worried about losing control himself as he was concerned about Bucky. It gave their interactions a strange sense of evenness and balance that Bucky appreciated._

_Tony was more of a struggle. Bucky had learned quickly that the man didn’t like silence so he was constantly rambling, especially in the early days when Bucky wasn’t able to find his voice. He couldn’t remember killing Tony’s parents though he knew it had happened. Like much of his past he was torn between wanting the memories to return and hoping that they stayed locked away. He knew there was something of Howard floating around in his head because there wasn’t any other reason for Tony to look as familiar as he did. Where Bruce was steady and methodical Tony was frantic energy and uncontrolled passion…but Tony looked at Steve like he was the best thing in his world so that was something._

_“Will people mind running into me?” Bucky asked as he scanned the room and counted windows, doors and other points of entry._

_“Everyone knows you’re here Buck, they’re all fine with you being here. We just want to help you.”_

_Bucky turned at the sound of the elevator. The doors opened to reveal a blond man, slightly shorter than Steve. He was wearing sweats and a beat up t-shirt though even with the baggy clothes Bucky could tell that he was strong in a lithe and compact way. Running through his mental pictures of the team he identified him as Hawkeye._

_“Hey Cap” Hawkeye said as he ambled into the kitchen and opened the fridge._

_“Hey Clint. Clint, this is Bucky.”_

_Clint stood up from the fridge holding a beer in his left hand and stuck his right hand out towards Bucky. “Clint Barton, nice to meet ya.”_

_Bucky stared down at the hand that was extended towards him for a moment and then slowly extended his left hand to grasp Clint’s, the sensors in the metal telling him that the grip was firm and strong._

_“You getting the grand tour?” Clint asked as he pulled his hand back and started rummaging through a drawer._

_Bucky slowly glanced up from his metal hand which was still slightly extended, “yeah, just getting the lay of the land.”_

_Clint nodded as he popped the top off his beer and returned the bottle opener to the drawer._

_“I just thought I’d show Buck the common area before taking him up to his floor” Steve said. “You heading out tomorrow?”_

_Clint nodded, “yeah, Nat and I should be in Prague by tomorrow afternoon. We’ll touch base once we’re on the ground.”_

_Bucky glanced sharply at the two men, he knew for a fact that no one was supposed to be talking about anything mission related in front of him but they both seemed unconcerned._

_“Check in with Tony before you leave, he mentioned some tech he wanted you to test out” Steve’s face transformed with the dopey smile he got whenever he talked about Tony and honestly did he really think Bucky didn’t know what was going on there?_

_“Are there trick arrows? Cause I want trick arrows.”_

_“Trick arrows?” Bucky asked despite himself._

_“Yeah, you know…arrows that do extra stuff…like explode or shoot nets”_

_Bucky stared at him._

_“I don’t think it’s trick arrows” Steve said as he tried and failed to keep from smiling._

_“Fine” Clint grumbled, “you heading up to your place after you show Barnes his floor? Sam was looking for you earlier and you know he won’t go up to the penthouse since the incident.”_

_Bucky looked curiously at Steve and saw the color drain from his face as he shot an anxious glance at Bucky “oh, um…yeah, I can find Sam…”_

_Clint scrunched his eyebrows together and looked at Steve before transferring his gaze to Bucky. He raised one eyebrow in question and Bucky rolled his eyes in response, Clint stared at him for another moment before his eyes crinkled with silent laughter._

_“Tony is loud…incredibly loud. And apparently our good Captain has very descriptive requests” Clint offered with a grin._

_The laugh caught him off guard. It felt like something was bubbling up deep inside the pit of his stomach and he couldn’t keep it inside and didn’t actually want to. The sound that he made was actually more of a bark than a laugh but his shoulders were shaking in unmistakable mirth. Clint looked slightly surprised but kept grinning back at him and Steve’s face had turned impossibly red and all Bucky could think about was how it was the first time he’d laughed since he came back to himself._

_*********************  
_

 

Bucky had long since drained the bitter coffee that Steve had brought him from the cafeteria when he heard the door open.

Tony looked grimly at Clint before shifting his eyes to the corner of the room where Steve had dozed off, his head leaned back against the wall. He smiled softly before turning back to Bucky.

“How’s he doing” he asked softly nodding at Clint.

“Better, surgery went well. Recovery is probably going to be a bitch…just waiting for him to wake up…” Bucky answered tiredly rubbing at his eyes. Bucky nodded his head towards Steve, “you should take him back to the Tower. He needs to eat and get some rest.”

“What about you? He’s not the only one with super solider metabolism…you had anything to eat yet?”

“I’m fine here” Bucky said, not answering the question but trusting Tony to leave it alone.

Steve stirred and opened his eyes at the sound of their voices. He smiled sleepily at Tony for a moment before seeming to remember where he was and glanced apologetically at Bucky. “Sorry, dozed off....everything ok?” he asked turning to Tony.

“All good Cap. Avengers related cleanup is mostly taken care of, things have been handed over to local authorities and everyone is back at the Tower. Came to see if I could drag you two out for a bit, you need to eat. I can sit with Barton.”

Bucky was shaking his head before Tony had finished talking. “I’m staying…Steve you should go home. Get some rest.”

“I told you I was ok to stay”

“Come on Stevie, I’ll be fine.”

Steve opened his mouth to respond and stopped as his phone started beeping. He reached back to pull it out “hang on…” he said as he stepped into the hall.

“Take him home with you. He needs to eat and sleep and I don’t need a babysitter” Bucky said as soon as Steve was out of the room.

“He just doesn’t want you sitting here by yourself”

“I know that...” Bucky trailed off wishing that he was better with words. It wasn’t something that he remembered being a problem from before…though he supposed that maybe he just hadn’t needed the words in the same way back when life mostly consisted of scraping by, trying to make enough money so that he and Steve were taken care of, thinking about a future based on dreams and possibility instead of reality. Now that he desperately needed the words because some days being understood often felt like the only way to hold on to his sanity it was like the words just deserted him sometimes. He could identify a feeling but didn’t have the language to explain it, Clint was the only one who never seemed to need him to. He took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to look at Tony.

“I don’t want to leave, I need to be here….and I know he’s worried…but it’s...easier…if he’s not here because I know he needs rest and he needs to check on the team….he always wants to do that….”

“It’s easier if you don’t have to worry about him too?” Tony asked

Bucky nodded, a tight and jerky motion, thankful that Tony understood and he could stop trying to clarify.

Steve slipped back into the room, tucking his phone back into his uniform. “Hill” he said by way of explanation.

Tony snaked an arm around Steve before he could sit down again “alright Cap, time to go. You’ll be in touch?” he asked Bucky

Bucky nodded gratefully, Steve started to open his mouth and Bucky saw Tony’s hand tighten its grip on Steve’s waist. Steve looked from Tony to Bucky and then just nodded. “Let us know if you need anything Buck, I’ll be back in the morning.”

Bucky nodded again and then turned his eyes back towards Clint as Steve allowed Tony to pull him from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

 

_Bucky rolled over and glanced at the clock on his nightstand, the glowing red numbers informing him that it was 3:26am. Swearing under his breath he flipped onto his back and lay staring up at the ceiling. He’d been making what he considered to be a valiant effort to stick to a normal schedule for the last several weeks. Mostly because his therapist thought that establishing routine and interacting with others was an important part of his recovery, but also because Tony had informed him that walking aimlessly around the Tower at all hours of the night was “weird and possibly creepy.” Bucky figured that if Tony Stark thought his sleeping habits were strange then it was a pretty good indication that something needed to change._

_Though in retrospect it was more likely that Tony was missing Steve than that he had suddenly gained a moderately healthy appreciation for sleep. JARVIS still reported his movements to Steve and upon learning that Bucky was up most of the night Steve had started staying up with him. It was actually nice. Bucky’s memories were still trickling back to him and while he knew he was still missing a lot time with Steve had started to feel familiar. Some nights they didn’t even talk, just watched movies from the list that Steve had made himself after waking up. Bucky knew he would never be the man that he was before falling from the train but those nights with Steve made him feel like at least part of that person was still inside and it gave him something to hold onto. _

_That had lasted about three weeks before Bucky realized that leading the Avengers meant Steve couldn’t sleep half the day like he did, so in the name of recovery, and for the sake of Steve’s sanity Bucky lay down around midnight and made himself get up by nine. And if that meant he stared at the ceiling for a couple hours most nights, at least Steve was getting rest._

_Night and day hadn’t mattered much when he was on a mission, he had a job to do and rest came only when absolutely necessary and had nothing to do with the time of day. By the time he was activated it was usually just a matter of going in, taking out the target and returning to base to be wiped and frozen, the leg work and prep for his missions always taken care of by others. As far as he could tell the months that he’d spent on the run after DC made for the longest consecutive stretch of time that he’d been awake since before he fell from the train._

_Tossing the covers aside Bucky stood up and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from the floor._

_“Going to go for a walk JARVIS” Bucky announced as he headed towards his door._

_He had full access to the common areas of the Tower, and while he didn’t actually need to tell JARVIS his plans it seemed rude to ignore the ever-present AI._

_Bucky found himself heading towards the common room without realizing he’d made a decision. Steve hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that the team liked to spend free time there. It was actually pretty unusual to find the room empty, at least during the day, Natasha liked to read, Bruce liked to cook, and Steve always did his paperwork at the kitchen table._

_Bucky hadn’t expected to like the space as much as he did, it was open and often loud and crowded…but it was also large and let him observe without actually being forced to interact with people if he didn’t want to. He’d spent plenty of evenings sitting on the couch furthest from the tv reading or simply being quiet, the sounds of conversation milling around him as he tried to remember what it felt like to be part of a group, a conversation._

_He stepped out of the elevator and came to a stop, the sounds of Mario Kart and Clint’s swears filling the room. Clint glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the elevator._

_“Bucky! Come watch me kick ass!” he said turning back towards the tv._

_Bucky opened his mouth to say that he was going to head down to the gym when he noticed Clint’s bow leaning against his legs. All the Avengers took meticulous care of their weapons and Clint was no exception, he might clean his bow in the common area but it seemed unlikely that he would just drag it with him to play video games._

_“Hey” Bucky said cautiously as he edged further into the room. Since their first meeting he hadn’t spent much time with Clint so he still didn’t have a good read on the archer._

_“Did you just get back?” Bucky asked remembering Steve mentioning something about Clint and Natasha having a mission._

_“What day is it? Is it Tuesday? We got back Tuesday.”_

_“It’s Wednesday, well Thursday now” Bucky said taking in the slightly manic look in Clint’s eyes and the tight lines around his mouth._

_“Well damn….I crashed for a while after debrief but then I woke up and….”Clint trailed off gesturing to the tv with the controller._

_“Everything go ok?” Bucky asked sinking down into the seat next to Clint. Officially he still wasn’t supposed to have any mission related information but Steve had never seemed to care and the others had followed his lead. Bucky had rolled his eyes at Steve’s seemingly baseless trust but since he knew he wasn’t planning on selling the team out to Hydra he’d decided it didn’t really matter._

_“Yep, bad guys gone, good guys won…another day in the life….” Clint answered without looking away from the screen. Bucky quickly ran his mind back through his past interactions with Clint as he tried to categorize his behavior. Clint could be a sarcastic shit when he wanted to but there was always an underlying focus, a sense that he saw and understood more than he let on, tonight he seemed scattered, almost jittery._

_“Ha!” Clint exclaimed as Yoshi crossed the finish line. He tossed the controller on the table and shifted his gaze to Bucky. “What are you up to?”_

_Bucky shrugged uncomfortably “couldn’t sleep, thought I’d take a walk”_

_Clint nodded absently “yeah, the dreams can be a bitch”_

_Clint didn’t say anything else just turned back to the tv. Bucky glanced back at the bow and wondered if he should keep his mouth shut, it’s not like he really knew Clint. On the other hand Clint was walking around with his weapon of choice so he’d probably get it…._

_“I was glad they couldn’t take the arm off” Bucky blurted. Clint raised an eyebrow but he looked curious and not horrified so Bucky took a deep breath to gather his words. “When I came in they took all my weapons, didn’t want me armed…still don’t really. They wanted to take the arm off too, thought it was dangerous. But Tony said he couldn’t do it because of how it’s wired. I was glad, I mean…it’s just my arm…but it was like a weapon they couldn’t take away…not to hurt anyone” Bucky added quickly “just...made me feel safer…” he trailed off and gestured to the bow by Clint’s feet._

_Clint nodded and continued to stare at him for a moment as he ran one hand over the curve of the bow._

_“I think that is officially the most words I’ve ever heard you use” he said conversationally._

_Bucky shrugged slightly and shifted on the couch so that he was also facing the tv._

_“Makes sense though” Clint continued “about the arm. It’s almost a team requirement at this point, we all have our deadly security blankets.”_

_“I keep waiting for Tony to come back and find some way to remove it...” Bucky said voicing the fear that had been in the back of his mind for weeks now._

_“Oh come on, Steve’s never gonna let someone take your arm!”_

_“He doesn’t like it” Bucky muttered. Steve was a handsy guy, he’d always been like that, an affectionate arm around your shoulders, pulling you by the elbow when he got excited. Bucky had noticed pretty quickly that Steve always seemed to stay to his right these days, he didn’t touch Bucky often and when he did it was never on the metal arm._

_“He probably thinks you don’t like it” Clint said matter-of-factly._

_“What?”_

_“He probably thinks you don’t like it, bad memories associated with it…something like that. In any case he would never take it without talking to you. And Tony’s a genius…though never tell him I said that….if either of them thought it was important I’m sure he could have found a way to remove it.” Clint shrugged and leaned forward to grab the remote and start flipping channels._

_“Oh” Bucky said softly. Is that why Steve never went near the arm? Because he thought it might trigger Bucky in some way? It sounded plausible enough….and Tony was a brilliant engineer, all you had to do was see the armor to know that. They’d at least talk to him first…._

_“So do you still want to be called Bucky?”_

_“What?” Bucky asked turning sharply to look at Clint “Why…I mean….” He trailed off not exactly sure what he was asking._

_“I mean….it was a nickname you were given, what? 70 years ago? If you still like it that’s cool just thought I’d ask”_

_“What else would you call me?” Bucky asked bemusedly_

_“What do I care? James, Jim, Jimbo, Susan?”_

_“Susan?”_

_“You can be called whatever you want….thats kinda the whole point in asking” Clint said patiently, and if you’d asked Bucky to describe Clint before this conversation he’s pretty sure the word patient wouldn’t have occurred to him._

_What did he want to be called? It wasn’t something that he’d ever thought about. Steve had called him Bucky so that’s how he’d been introduced to everyone. But did he feel like Bucky? Bucky Barnes was a young kid who’d liked to dance and who couldn’t wait to go to war and protect his country, he’d loved his family and Stevie and he’d dreamed of coming home from the war, finding a nice girl and getting married. He’d also died a long time ago. But if he wasn’t Bucky then who? James? James was what he’d been called when his mother was angry with him, it was the name the priests used when he went to confession, the name on all his official papers…but he’d never felt like James. His handlers had only called him the asset._

_Bucky Barnes was a long dead naive young man, but he was also a soldier, a POW, a sniper, he’d actually been a lot of different things….so maybe Bucky Barnes could be a former assassin as well?_

_Clint had stopped flipping channels, not putting Bucky on the spot but clearly still waiting for an answer._

_“I’d like to be called Bucky” he said with a decisiveness that felt both exhilarating and completely foreign. “Thank you for asking” he added softly._

_Clint cocked an eyebrow at him “You don’t need to thank me, it’s your choice…you don’t need…it’s your choice” he repeated with a shrug. They sat in silence the soft sounds from the tv filling the room._

_“You going to bed?” Bucky asked. Clint immediately tensed, it was small but Bucky caught the way his fingers clenched on the top of his bow and his shoulders tightened. “If you’re not we could play” he continued hurriedly pointing to the discarded controllers._

_Clint grinned “Oh you’re on!”_

_Bucky grinned back catching the controller that was tossed at his head and leaned back into the couch, feeling something like pride as he watched the tension leave Clint’s shoulders._

_*************  
_

 

Bucky came instantly awake with the knowledge that someone was in the room with him. He raised his head from the bed in the same instant drawing his weapon and spinning to face the door. Natasha artfully raised one eyebrow, her lips quirking slightly.

“Sloppy” she said as she walked forward sliding gracefully into the chair that Steve had vacated earlier.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he dropped back into his seat. Anyone else and he would have been annoyed, but Natasha remained the only living person who had ever managed to sneak up on him. “Dozed off” he muttered.

“Obviously” her gaze flicked to Clint’s still form “how is he?”

“As well as can be expected….idiot”

“He doesn’t actually get hurt just to make you angry you know.” She’d cleaned up since the battle and obviously slept some but she still looked tired, which meant she was worried. Natasha’s emotions were only visible when wanted them to be or when she was distracted.

“I know he doesn’t do it to make me angry, not specifically anyways. I just…I need him to be careful”

Natasha’s lips quirked again in her half smile “you should have seen him before you got together.”

“That doesn’t actually make me feel better…”

“After Loki…”Bucky drew his breath in sharply. He knew that Clint had talked to Natasha about what had happened, she’d been the one to bring him back after all, but he also knew that Clint held that experience closer than anything else in his life. “After Loki he always felt like he had something to prove, like he had to make up for it. You’ve been good for him.”

“He wasn’t in control!” Bucky said hotly. “He couldn’t have done anything differently.” Bucky had firmly believed that after what Hydra had done to him he had a firm understanding of rage; he’d had to reassess that after Clint had told him about Loki. He took a deep breath and pushed down the emotions that were threatening to spill over. “He’s never had anything to prove, and you can’t make up for choices you didn’t make in the first place.”

Natasha smiled sadly at him “like I said, you’ve been good for him.” They lapsed into silence after that, the sound of the monitor the only noise in the room.


	3. Chapter 3

_After several months in the Tower Bucky had come to the conclusion that no one really kept regular hours, at least not all the time. Between Tony and Bruce’s lab binges, Clint and Natasha’s missions, and Steve’s ability to sleep less than the average person there was usually someone awake if Bucky needed to wander the halls in the middle of the night._

_Luckily those nights weren’t happening nearly as often anymore, but when they did come he’d find himself too restless to sleep or even sit still. The only thing that really calmed him down was walking through the Tower making sure everything was secure._

_He wasn’t even sure what he’d been dreaming about this evening. He’d woken up with his mind full of fractured images but nothing substantial enough to call a memory. Regardless he hadn’t been able to calm down enough to get back to sleep and as soon as he’d sat down to turn on the television he’d felt all of his senses kick into high gear, unable to ignore the need to check his surroundings._

_He had just finished checking the gym and was heading back to the elevator when the doors opened to reveal Clint. He was wearing sweats and a t-shirt but his bow was slung over his shoulders._

_Clint’s eyebrows lifted fractionally but if he was actually surprised to see Bucky he didn’t say anything, instead he just nodded towards the gym “you all finished?”_

_Bucky shrugged, he appreciated the out even though given his own sleep pants and t-shirt he was pretty sure it was obvious that he hadn’t actually been working out. “I’m done in there, mostly just wandering.”_

_Clint cocked his head to the side and gave Bucky an appraising look. Bucky had seen Clint more frequently since the night they played Mario Kart and while he still wouldn’t say that he knew the archer incredibly well he did like him. He was easy-going but he also seemed straight forward which Bucky appreciated. He was skilled at his job but he also seemed quicker to laugh than some of the others, more ready to tease Steve or prank Tony. But then there would be moments like this one where Clint would seem to really focus on someone as if he could see and understand everything about them. Not for the first time Bucky wondered if people were only referring to his archery skills when they said he had the best eyes in Shield._

_Clint nodded to himself and then gestured towards the gym again, “I’m heading in for some target practice, wanna see who’s the better sniper?” he asked with a grin._

_Bucky laughed despite himself, “I’ve got a few years of practice on you pal, don’t think it’ll be much of a competition.”_

_Clint smiled as he brushed past him, “well then let’s see if you can keep up old man.”_

_Two hours of matching each other shot for shot and Bucky was willing to call it a tie, at least for tonight._

_“Congratulations” Clint called as he finished collecting his arrows and started walking back towards Bucky, “you have proven yourself worthy to be called a sniper and did not embarrass yourself.”_

_Bucky snorted as he finished stowing his weapon, “thanks” he said tossing Clint a bottle of water while quickly draining his own._

_Shooting had been relaxing, being able to focus on the repetitive and precise task of pulling the trigger and hitting the target over and over again, releasing stress he wasn’t even aware he was holding on to. Despite it being almost four in the morning Bucky found himself feeling almost rested, he hadn’t felt this calm in recent memory. He glanced up to see Clint watching him._

_“Sometimes when I can’t sleep I’ll come down and shoot. You can always ask JARVIS if I’m up” he offered._

_Bucky opened his mouth to brush him off, not that he thought the offer was insincere. Steve had also told him repeatedly that Bucky could always wake him up if he couldn’t sleep, Bucky just hated the thought of bothering people. But he was feeling better now, it might even be possible for him to go back to sleep at this point._

_“I’m sure you’ve noticed that lots of us have trouble sleeping sometimes” Clint offered as if sensing that he wasn’t entirely convinced. “I can never get back to sleep after nightmares so I like to come down here. It calms me down, helps me remember what I can do….” Clint paused and chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully “reminds me that I’m safe” he added softly._

_Bucky stared at him for a moment. He knew the basics of what had happened during the Battle of New York but that was it. He felt his lips twitch into a small smile, “safe sounds pretty good.”_

_*****************_

Bucky had no idea what time it was. Natasha had left at some point, coming to stand by the bed for a moment before squeezing his shoulder, leaning over to kiss Clint on the forehead and then slipping silently out of the room.

In the bed Clint slept on.

***************

 

_Bucky paced restlessly around his apartment trying to will his breathing under control. He’d actually managed ten days without a nightmare which was a new personal best. Unfortunately his subconscious seemed intent on making up for lost time. The nightmare had been bad, a compilation of memories that he couldn’t pull apart but left him with images of blood and death running on repeat through his head. He knew as soon as he scrambled out of bed that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep tonight. Normally he’d ask JARVIS if Steve was awake but tonight was Steve’s anniversary and Bucky had promised himself that he wouldn’t bother him. He honestly hadn’t thought it would be an issue with how well he’d been doing recently. He could always walk the Tower or go to the gym but tonight’s dream had left him with the desire for company. Coming to a decision he stopped pacing and glanced towards the ceiling._

_“JARVIS, is Clint awake?”_

_“Agent Barton is awake, he is currently in his quarters.”_

_Bucky had yet to actively seek out Clint’s company after a nightmare but he had run into him several times over the last month. It was no longer unusual to find Clint in the gym when Bucky was doing his rounds on nights he couldn’t sleep. There had also been a few nights where Bucky had found Clint in the common area and joined him for movies._

_“He want some company?” Bucky waited as JARVIS presumably relayed the message. At least with JARVIS asking the question Clint had the opportunity to say no without Bucky having to be there._

_“Agent Barton says you are more than welcome to come down to his suite if you would like”_

_“Thanks JARVIS” Bucky said as he headed to his door._

_He could practically hear his therapist’s voice talking about the important step he was taking in reaching out to someone other than Steve, and while he knew that made sense it made some small obstinate part of him want to turn around, go back to his room, and suffer in silence. He was still getting used to having the ability to make his own choices, an unexpected side effect of that seemed to be a desire to actively avoid things that were recommended by anyone in a position of authority. Steve had assured him he thought it was more about returning to form than resisting getting better so he tried not to worry too much about it._

_He stopped in front of Clint’s door and knocked softly, opening it at the muffled “come in” he heard from inside._

_Clint was sitting on his sofa managing to look both relaxed and alert at the same time, it was a look that Bucky had come to associate with the archer over the last several months._

_“Hey man, just starting Dog Cops, you seen it yet?” Clint asked as he gestured towards the tv and shifted slightly on the couch to make room for Bucky._

_“Not yet” Bucky said dropping down onto the couch._

_“You’re gonna love it!”_

_Bucky smiled slightly and settled in letting the sounds of the tv fade into the background as his hands finally stopped shaking._

_The show wasn’t terrible Bucky mused to himself three episodes later. He glanced to his side to check that Clint was still awake. Other than comments about the show Clint hadn’t said much since Bucky arrived. It was one of the things that he appreciated about the other man, the sense that he could talk but that he didn’t have to. Words were certainly easier than they’d been when he’d first come back but it was still something he struggled with, and he couldn’t imagine that small talk would ever be anything other than stressful for him._

_“You can always kick me out if you want to sleep” Bucky offered as the next episode started to play._

_Clint glanced over and shrugged at him. “Not really a night for sleeping” he offered._

_“Yeah, me either”_

_“So what’s Steve doing tonight? Don’t get me wrong I’m always up for sharing the awesomeness that is Dog Cops, I was just surprised to hear from you.”_

_Bucky shrugged but kept his eyes on the tv. “It’s his anniversary, didn’t want to bother him and Stark.”_

_“Yeah, I can see that. Well you know I’m always up for company.” He was quiet for a moment before adding, “worked out especially well tonight”_

_He didn’t add anything and Bucky thought about leaving it at that. But he thought he was starting to understand Clint through their conversations and late night shooting competitions. Clint never pushed, he never asked specific questions and he never volunteered details, but sometimes Clint extend an offer of more, made statements that could be followed up on as easily as left alone. The open-endedness of it appealed to Bucky._

_“I’d made it 10 days without a nightmare” Bucky offered, still staring straight ahead._

_“Personal record?”_

_“Yeah, actually” Bucky said, the small huff of laughter catching him by surprise._

_“Well mine is 26 days so I’m beating you there too” Clint said, a grin taking over his features as Bucky quickly turned and stared at him. This time his laugh shook his shoulders._

_“Seriously?” he asked_

_“Now you know the score” he said waving his hand in front of him, “feel free to try and beat me.”_

_“Thanks for the motivation. And you aren’t beating me in anything else, our sniper competitions are a tie if anything.”_

_“Whatever you say” Clint said settling back in the couch._

_Bucky smiled and shook his head. “Usually it’s fine…..I just didn’t want to be on my own tonight” he added softly._

_When Clint spoke again his voice was gentler than Bucky had ever heard it. “I hear that. Sometimes having someone else there helps, just… I’m around if you need me. And you never know, maybe our nightmares will keep coordinating. No sense sitting on your own…or interrupting Captain America’s sex life if I’m already up”_

_A small part of Bucky noted that he was probably breaking some kind of record as he laughed for the third time that evening, “well if that’s not un-American I don’t know what is….”_

_“Exactly!”_

_“Thanks Clint” he added quietly._

_“Anytime….want to start this episode over? I have no idea what’s going on”_

_An hour later Clint was sound asleep, slumped over so that his head rested lightly on Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky briefly considered heading back to his own suite, but that would mean waking Clint. Settling deeper into the cushions he felt his eyes start to droop, Dog Cops continuing to play in the background and Clint tucked warmly against his side._


	4. Chapter 4

_Realizing that his feelings for Clint went beyond friendship felt almost anticlimactic._

_In the weeks since Steve and Tony’s anniversary the two of them had spent a lot more time together, actually seeking out each other’s company as opposed to just running into each other around the Tower. Clint had taken the lead on that, since the idea that someone other than Steve would want to actively spend time with him was something that Bucky still had trouble grasping most days._

_Clint never pushed, just extended invitations. He found movies he thought Bucky would like, he made sure to continue their sniper competitions, some nights he’d order pizza and tell stories about past missions, glossing over the heavy and sometimes terrifying aspects of the job and sharing the ridiculous things that happened when you had to wait for 8 hours before a terrifying 12 minuet fight. Somewhere along the line Bucky started extending invitations of his own, seeking Clint out to play Mario Kart, mentioning movies he hadn’t gotten around to seeing yet._

_It was a Tuesday when it happened. Bucky had had a nightmare the previous night and though he’d been able to get back to sleep he’d woken up still feeling twitchy and had decided to head down to Clint’s floor as soon as JARVIS let him know Clint was awake. Clint hadn’t commented when he opened the door, just stepped aside and poured Bucky a cup of coffee._

_“Sorry…” Bucky mumbled into his mug._

_“Nightmare?”_

_“Yeah…it was about from before”_

_Clint cocked his head slightly, “you mean before the train?” he asked._

_Bucky nodded slightly, silently appreciating that Clint never seemed to shy away from mentioning things like that. Steve didn’t like to talk about Bucky falling and he never mentioned it unless it was unavoidable. Bucky could understand that, he imagined he’d feel the same way if he’d still been around when Steve crashed the plane. But it was still something that had happened and if he avoided mentioning all the terrible things that had happened to him in the last 70 years he’d never talk about anything._

_“Yeah….sometimes it’s from time as the Solider, and sometimes it’s from before. Those are…”Bucky trailed off again not exactly sure what to say about what he privately referred to as the “Bucky nightmares.”_

_“Worse?” Clint asked._

_“Maybe……it’s all these glimpses of this person, ya know? This normal person…but, I’m not him. And I don’t think I ever will be again, and it was so long ago….like remembering when you were a child and then you grow up and you’re different but it’s also not like that cause he’s who I was supposed to be”_

_Clint watched him quietly for a moment, “One, I think that is the longest sentence I’ve ever heard you speak….which, cool, just want to note that. And two, fuck who you were ‘supposed to be’ shit happens and it changes you and there isn’t any supposed to be here.”_

_Bucky raised an eyebrow at him._

_“Look” Clint continued sounding as close to exasperated as Bucky had ever heard him, “I’m not saying anything about this is normal…just that you can’t worry about who you used to be and you can’t sit around thinking that there is only one right way to be you. Steve would have been different if he hadn’t gotten the serum, he would have been different if he wasn’t frozen, doesn’t mean we don’t have the real version of Steve.”_

_“Fair enough” Bucky conceded “those dreams just always knock me a bit”_

_“Understandable…..glad you came down though.”_

_“Me too” Bucky murmured as they sipped their coffee in comfortable silence._

_Everything Clint said made sense, the trick would be trying to actually remember that. Regardless Bucky felt better than he had when he woke up that morning, which was usually the case when he talked to Clint. Clint who never seemed to care what version of Bucky he got, Clint who always seemed to know when to listen and when to talk and when to distract, Clint who had never once looked at him like he was broken._

_They were both sitting quietly drinking their coffee, Clint messing around on his phone, Bucky looking out the window at the city skyline, when the knowledge that he had feelings for Clint quietly slotted into place in his battered brain._

_************************************_

 

The soft footfalls in the hall alerted Bucky to the fact that someone was coming seconds before the door opened and Bruce poked his head inside. Upon seeing that Bucky was awake he stepped quietly into the room and made his way over the bed, glancing at the machines hooked up to Clint as he came closer.

“Still sleeping?” Bruce asked

“No change yet” Bucky answered tiredly as he shifted in his chair and stretched. There was nothing comfortable about hospital furniture. “What are you still doing here?” he asked, the clock on the wall telling him it was close to 3 in the morning.

Bruce shrugged as he tugged his glasses off and began cleaning them, “takes a bit to put myself back together after the Other Guy makes an appearance, thought I’d check on you two before heading back to the Tower. How are you holding up?”

Bucky shrugged noncommittally as he turned his gaze back to Clint. “I’ll be better once this idiot wakes up” he said roughly. “I should have been there” he added more to himself than Bruce.

Bruce looked up from Clint’s chart, “It wouldn’t have made any difference today. You thinking you want to start coming out with the team more regularly?”

Bucky shrugged again not particularly wanting to talk. He wasn’t an active member of the team, he didn’t go out on most calls but if a situation was serious enough he’d join them. He actually liked working with the team. They worked well together, he trusted them, and there was a part of him that always felt better when he was in the field watching Steve’s back. No matter how much faith he had in the team old habits seemed to die hard when it came to watching out for that punk.

“You know the team would love to have you out there” Bruce continued “I’m sure Steve would add you to active duty the second you asked.”

“I’m sure he would too” Bucky said. It wasn’t a question of whether or not the team trusted him, it was a question of trusting himself and he knew that. He and Clint had been over it a hundred times, Clint insisting that Bucky would be fine and Bucky insisting that it wasn’t smart to take the risk.

Bruce was starting at him again “you still worried about triggers?”

“Wouldn’t you be?” Bucky asked incredulously.

“I spend most of my time worrying about triggers” Bruce laughed humorlessly. “It’s your choice obviously, just something to think about. Well, I’m going to head back, I’m sure Steve will be back in the morning. Try and get some rest.”

“Thanks Bruce.”

Bucky reached forward and brushed Clint’s hair back leaning over to place a gently kiss on his forehead.


	5. Chapter 5

_Steve had been staring at him from the other side of the couch for at least five minutes when he finally cracked._

_“Something you need Stevie?” he asked_

_“No!” Steve said quickly, “You and Clint have been spending a lot of time together recently…”_

_Bucky sighed to himself, apparently seventy years later and Steve still hadn’t learned subtlety._

_“Yep” Bucky offered and then waited to see if Steve would actually ask the question that was apparently on his mind. Steve continued to watch and him for a moment before seeming to gather himself._

_“What’s going on there?”_

_Bucky felt a rush of happiness at the fact that Steve had actually asked the question. He knew he was still healing, that he had a long way to go, but he hated the way that Steve tiptoed around him most of the time. Steve still wasn’t asking the way he would have in the past. There was no teasing, no jokes at Bucky’s expense, but Steve had asked the question and Bucky found himself absurdly grateful for that small fact._

_Bucky shrugged, “I like spending time with him” he offered._

_Steve nodded slowly, “Clint’s a great guy, and I’m glad you’ve become friends….I was just…wondering if anything else was going on there?” he asked tentatively._

_Bucky was quiet for a moment torn between the familiarity of sharing something with Steve and the instinct to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself._

_There were very few emotions that he associated with his time as the Soldier, mostly because as the Soldier he didn’t feel much. His mind was focused and task oriented because that’s what Hydra wanted and needed from him. He hadn’t felt or questioned. The fact that now, sitting here next to Steve he could not only feel but share those feelings still felt incredibly foreign on some days._

_“I like him, he feels…comfortable…like he understands me...”Bucky said slowly._

_Steve’s answering grin seemed to light up his face, “That’s great Buck. Have you talked to him?”_

_Bucky shrugged again and shifted his eyes away from Steve, “Don’t want to make things awkward” he mumbled._

_“Sure” Steve nodded “though I don’t think you have to worry about that.”_

_Bucky looked up sharply, “what do you mean?”_

_Steve shrugged but a small smile was still playing around his lips, “just that Clint obviously enjoys spending time with you too….and Clint doesn’t usually spend time with people he doesn’t care about. Alright,” Steve said standing up “I need to go drag Tony out of the lab….just think about talking to Clint alright?” Steve squeezed his shoulder as he walked past Bucky and headed to the elevators._

_Bucky let the silence settle around him as the elevator closed behind Steve. Did he want to say something to Clint? He’d thought about it, he’d been thinking about it since he realized that his feelings went beyond friendship. Clint had become a close friend, someone he trusted and sometimes he thought that maybe Clint felt something for him. He could call to mind dozens of looks and smiles and little moments where it seemed clear that Clint was interested in him. But then he’d head back to his suite and think about all the reasons that was impossible and the odds that he was reading things wrong, seeing what he wanted to see or misinterpreting something because he hadn’t made a new friend in decades._

_But Steve knew Clint. And Steve wouldn’t have encouraged him if he thought Bucky’s feelings were completely off base._

_Bucky took a deep breath and thought back to the months and months of Clint taking the time to ask him what he wanted and encourage him to make his own decisions. “JARVIS, where’s Clint?” Bucky asked as he stood and headed to the elevator._

_“Agent Barton is currently on the range. Would you like me take you there?”_

_“Sure”_

_Bucky rode the elevator down in tense silence. He could feel his shoulder muscles tense as he walked rigidly towards the firing range. The door slide open quietly as he approached and he stopped for a moment to watch Clint. The other man stood facing the targets at the far end of the room. Bucky watched as he drew back and loosed an arrow hitting the target exactly where he was aiming. He really was beautiful._

_Clint glanced over in his direction and smiled. “Hey, in the mood for a rematch?” he asked as he started walking over. As he drew closer the smile fell from his face and was replaced by a look of concern. “You alright?” he asked coming to a stop in front of Bucky._

_“Please tell me if I’m reading everything wrong...I know I do that sometimes so you gotta tell me...”_

_Clint reached out and laid a hand on Bucky’s shoulder “what’s going on Buck?”_

_Bucky took a deep breath and tried to brace himself for whatever answer was coming his way. “Can I kiss you?”_

_Clint blinked twice at him and then a slow smile spread across his face, his eyes crinkling in something like fondness. “Yeah” he said softly “that sounds like a great idea.”_

_Bucky leaned forward quickly, his lips hitting Clint’s much harder than he intended. He felt Clint smile and pull back slightly before winding one hand around Bucky’s neck and bringing his mouth back down to his. “A really great idea” Clint murmured._

_Bucky definitely agreed as he smiled against Clint’s lips and deepened the kiss._

_********************************************_

 

Light was starting to filter into the room through the window blinds and Bucky could hear the sounds of morning rounds coming from the corridor outside Clint’s room.

He glanced up at the sound of a disturbance in the hall and was starting to stand when he heard Tony above a low and instant voice he assumed belonged to a doctor “No it’s fine. I’m allowed in, really…I should be on list…do you not have a list? You can’t possibly not know who I am.” Bucky rolled his eyes and dropped tiredly back into the chair next to the bed.

Tony poked his head into the room and locked eyes with Bucky before stepping inside and shutting the door on the continued protests coming from a young man in light blue scrubs.

“He’s still not awake” Bucky said needlessly gesturing to Clint.

“They aren’t concerned, docs said it could be up to 24 hours before he woke up” Tony said waving his phone in Bucky’s direction.

Bucky smiled tiredly despite himself, “if you’re hacking his medical records and already know everything why are you here?”

“To grace you with my sparkling personality” Tony said without missing a beat. “Besides, I brought breakfast” he said lifting up a bag and passing it over to Bucky.

“And because Steve wanted you to check on me?” Bucky asked as he pulled out a breakfast sandwich and took a bite. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

Tony shrugged unconcernedly, “obviously.”

“I told him I’d be in touch” Bucky said.

“Well yeah…but he can’t do anything for Clint so all that worry gets transferred to you. Historically the man does not do idleness well.”

“You don’t say” Bucky offered dryly.

“So you and I get to have a breakfast date, I get to update everyone else about our favorite archer and you don’t have to deal with a room full of worried superheroes when you’d rather be alone with your man.” Tony said as he settled back in the plastic chair and began fiddling with something on his phone.

Bucky watched him for a moment, taking in the way his foot bounced against the linoleum and his eyes kept flicking back to Clint. “Thanks Tony.”

***************************************

_Bucky finished splashing water on his face and then stood to look at himself in the mirror. His skin felt clammy the way it always did after a nightmare but he didn’t look at as unsteady as he sometimes did so he decided to count it as a win. He switched off the bathroom light and headed back to the bedroom._

_Bucky grimaced as he walked back into the room to see Clint sitting up in bed, leaning propped against the headboard. “Sorry I woke you” he said as he crawled back into bed and laid down._

_Clint shifted down onto his side so he was facing Bucky. “Don’t worry about it. Feeling ok?”_

_Bucky smiled softly at that. Clint always asked if he was ok, never what the dream was about, never if Bucky wanted to talk, just an open invitation to share or not share with no judgement either way._

_“Yeah, not too bad actually. I’ll feel better when Steve gets back from his mission….can’t help worrying about that punk when he’s gone.” Steve had left thirty six hours ago to deal with a small Hydra cell in Belarus and while Bucky knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself it always felt strange knowing that Steve was out in the world doing something dangerous without Bucky there to watch his back._

_“Nat will keep an eye on him, they’re due back by tomorrow at the latest.”_

_“I know, I’m being stupid about it.”_

_Clint reached out, palm cupping Bucky’s cheek. “Hey, you’ve been worrying about Steve on and off for seventy years. No need to apologize for that, doesn’t mean you don’t trust him or the team.” He leaned forward and kissed Bucky softly and Bucky smiled against his lips._

_“Thank you” he murmured as he returned the kiss._

_Clint pulled back and raised an eyebrow in question._

_Bucky shrugged not wanting to make it a bigger deal than it needed to be. “For just….”he stopped for a second attempting to gather the words that he actually wanted to say, “things feel easy with you. They feel right and normal and safe and I feel like myself. So thank you.”_

_He dropped his gaze, hoping that he was managing to be clear but afraid that he wasn’t quite managing it._

_Taking a deep breath he raised his eyes back to look at Clint who lay there with a slightly lopsided grin. “I love you too” Clint smiled as he kissed him again._

_*************************************************_

 

Bucky was dozing with his head pillowed on his arm when he felt the familiar sensation of someone running their fingers through his hair. Snapping back to alertness he jerked upright to look down at the bed.

Clint smiled groggily up at him, clearly still feeling the effects of the medication in his system but alive and safe and awake.

“About damn time you woke up” Bucky smiled as he leaned over to press a kiss against Clint’s forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story actually started as an experiment to see if posting a WIP would help me to write faster. The answer was a resounding "no" but thank you so much for sticking with this one! Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
